Cancer
by xxVegetasTorturistxx
Summary: Someone in the Briefs family comes down with cancer, and we see the trials and turmoil that the disease can cause in a family. Has sad moments, characters can be OOC, disclaimer here : do not own characters, story, or song included later on. CHAP 5 NOW UP
1. Chapter 1

The sound couldn't have been anymore recognizable. The gravity machine had exploded yet again. The explosion of energy, the crashing noise, Vegeta's screams from outside; yes, Bulma knew what had happened, but there was something strange about the noises. They didn't seem as extreme, but the importance of her being out there seemed to sky rocket. She yelled for her son, then ran outside to the machine, which was still fully functional. But if it wasn't the machine that had exploded, then what had made the noise? She knocked on the door. "Vegeta?" She spoke quietly as she opened the door. "Vegeta? You in here?" She already knew the answer, but she begged he would say no and show up behind her and surprise her like he frequently did.

Trunks landed behind her and followed her in. "Father?" He called into the machine.

Bulma suddenly ran over to the other side of the machine and kneeled down next to a fallen Vegeta, who seemed to be struggling with intense pain. "Vegeta, what's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?" She cupped his face in her hands and lifted his head onto her bent knees. "Trunks, call the infirmary." Trunks' eyes widened and he hesitated in pure shock, his father, the man whom he had always thought to be invincible, was lying on the ground growling and sweating from holding back screams from the pain he was feeling. "Trunks!"

"Sorry… right. Sorry…" He stammered, then flew off to the infirmary. It was always easier to talk to them in person than over the phone, you can't hold someone against a wall by their throat over the phone. Trunks knew this from experience.

"Vegeta…" Bulma whispered as his hand reached up and grabbed her upper arm tightly. "What happened?" The Saiyan prince crawled painfully into the woman's lap, resting his head on her chest. He was thankful that their eldest had left them so he could find comfort in his mate. His breath caught in his throat as he felt a sharp pain in his arms, which instinctively clung around his woman's chest. "Shhhh…. It's okay, just tell me what happened…"

"I… I'm not sure. I was training and… this sharp pain in my arms… fell to the ground… felt like I was… dying and…arms were broken…." He choked out, gritting his teeth to hold back the tears he regretted even existing. _How can I be so weak? What is this pain that ails me… it comes from nowhere yet it envelopes my entire being…._

"It'll be okay, Vegeta, I promise. Trunks went to the infirmary to get you help, they should be here soon…" As if on cue, several men from the hospital came running in with a stretcher and carried the Saiyan away with them. Bulma sit on the floor for a few moments, knowing that just years ago she would have had to hold Vegeta down while they examined him. She wasn't sure if he was well-mannered enough now, but she was hoping. She sighed and stood up, then looked to the door where her two children stood. Trunks looked genuinely concerned, knowing that there was something seriously wrong with the situation, but he also looked absolutely confused. Bulla just wanted to know what was wrong with her daddy.

Bulla ran to her mother, who hugged her tightly. "What happened to daddy? Is he okay?" The young girl looked up to her mother, then buried her face in her chest again.

"You know your father, Bulla, he'll be just fine." Bulma smiled reassuringly, whether to herself or her daughter she wasn't sure, but when she looked back at Trunks, the smile faded into an unknowing grimace. "Would you like to stay with Gohan for a few days while your father is resting?"

"Sure!" Bulla smiled and wiped her eyes, running back into the house.

Trunks slowly walked over to his mother, arms crossed over his chest. He looked slightly downward to make eye contact and saw her lips tremble. They both knew this was something more serious than a few days rest, but Trunks had to be strong for her. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head, letting her cling to him momentarily. When she let go, he smiled down at her. "I'm sure he'll be fine. You know dad… but hey, he probably needs you right now. You know how he gets around medical personnel." They both smirked in good humor, then Bulma walked out toward the infirmary.


	2. Chapter 2

The situation at the hospital was just as Bulma and Trunks had thought. Vegeta was fighting off the nurses and doctors trying to hold him to the bed to get the IV's into his skin, about three to each arm. He was sitting up in the bed, screaming at them to get off of him and just as he was powering up to blow them all into the walls, Bulma walked in. "Vegeta!" She screamed. Everyone stopped what they were doing, including Vegeta, and they all looked at the woman of the house. She walked slowly over to the bed and sat next to him. The nurses and doctors let go of his arms as she placed a hand on his chest. "Lay down, boy." Vegeta growled. "Down." She pushed lightly and he laid back, maintaining eye contact with her. "Let them do their job, Vegeta."

"If their job is to inject me with medication that will do me no good then I don't understand the point. Forgive me for not letting them waste their time." He flinched and gritted his teeth, his fists clenching tighter. Bulma nodded to the nurses and they took the opportunity to get the IV's in. When it was all said and done, Vegeta was glaring at Bulma like she had just stabbed him in the back and all of the nurses were gone. "Vegeta… it was for the better and you know that." She said simply, kissing his forehead.

"It doesn't matter what was for the best…. Woman, what's wrong with me?" She looked him in the eyes, which showed emotions that had been rarely seen from them. Fear, confusion, panic. He was sitting up in his bed, tubes sticking out of his arms and wires connected to various parts of his upper body and all Bulma wanted to say was nothing. She couldn't lie to him though, not after everything they'd been through together.

"I'm not sure, Vegeta." She whispered. "That's why you're here."

"This is more than anything I've ever felt…."

"I know, Vegeta."

"When will they know? My arms feel like they're breaking, but they're obviously functioning properly. I felt like I was going to die, woman… I fell out of the air… " His voice grew quiet. "I felt weak…" Bulma's heart broke as she watched the Saiyan argue with himself. He sat up and bent his knees, wrapping his arms around them, his head hanging down to look at his bare stomach. Bulma smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

"You want me to lay down with you until they give you your results?" She whispered. He looked up at her, his head still hanging, then nodded slowly. Bulma lifted her dress off of her body, stripping down to her bra and panties. Vegeta smiled and laid down, lifting the blanket up for her to crawl under. She laid down, her back to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. After awhile she rolled over to face him, slowly tracing his muscled chest and stomach. She looked up to see his eyes shut, his body began shaking. "Vegeta… baby…" She whispered. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "Vegeta, I know you're scared. I am too… don't worry, baby…." She kissed him softly.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and rolled her over so he was on top of her, his face lying on her chest. Bulma smiled and sat up so his head was on her lap and she began rubbing his back, singing quietly to him a lullaby he had taught her in his native tongue.

A few minutes later a doctor walked in with a chart and Bulma stood up and put her dress back on. Vegeta was asleep, his chest slowly rising and falling. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Briefs, but his results have come back.

"Yes? And?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Briefs, but your husband has tested positive for bone marrow cancer."


	3. Chapter 3

Bulma's eyes widened in shock. "What? Cancer? No, not Vegeta… he's a Saiyan! They rarely even get head colds, let alone cancer?" The word stung her tongue as she spoke it. Her eyes wandered over to her husband's sleeping form. "There has to be a mistake, he can't be the patient with cancer…"

"Mrs. Briefs, he was the only person who had tests running so there isn't a possibility that there was a mistake; the initial reason you had the infirmary built at Capsule Corp.." The doctor flipped through the chart. "There's signs of it in his arms, his shins, and parts of his back. He shouldn't leave the hospital. Walking could potentially break his legs, shatter the bones because of how fragile they've become."

"No…. not Vegeta. You can't keep him in here…"

"I'm afraid we're going to have to, Mrs. Briefs. If his legs shatter, you know his body rejects cyborg materials. He would never be able to walk again."

_Vegeta… never able to walk… he'd go insane! This can't be true.. But it is, Bulma. And you have to be the one to tell him. _She sighed. "Thank you, doctor. I'll tell him the news when he wakes up…."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Briefs." The doctor said, his hand rested on her shoulder momentarily, then he walked out of the room. Bulma sighed and walked back over to Vegeta's bed. She sat down next to his body and ran her hand through his hair. She smiled as she remembered a time when he would awake instantly when she so much as sat on the bed, and now his trust in her had built enough that she could crawl into bed with him without him so much as stirring. She leaned down and kissed his temple, moving her hand down to his back.

"Vegeta…" She spoke quietly, patting his side. "Wake up, hunny."

His heavy eyelids slowly lifted and he glanced around the room. "Where am I?" He asked groggily.

"You're in the infirmary, Vegeta, remember?"

"Oh, right. What brings you to wake me?"

"The doctor came back with your results a few minutes ago…" Bulma's eyes drifted to the side, wishing she could find a way to tell him. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Vegeta… you have cancer." She spoke quietly, then looked back into his eyes. They were empty of emotion for a few moments before he realized she wasn't joking. Suddenly, they grew large and she could almost feel his heart explode within him. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered, attempting to hold his hand, but he jerked it away, standing up quickly.

"No! No, this can't happen! How can I protect you? How can I protect my family? How could this happen to me? To a Saiyan prince!? How did I become so weak!?" He screamed and punched one of the walls, leaving a reasonably large hole. Immediately after, his legs gave way and he collapsed, crying out in pain. "Damn it all!" He shouted, breathing heavily.

Bulma rushed over to where he sat against the wall, kneeling next to him. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips, praying to Kami he would relax. "Vegeta… Vegeta, it's okay. Relax, hunny."

"Ahh…. It hurts… it hurts so damn bad…" He spoke through gritted teeth, resting his head against her forehead. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on her energy instead of his pain, but it was no use, the pain was too intense. He groaned harshly, almost growling, gripping her arms tightly to try and relieve some of the pain he felt. "Nngh…" He groaned, his forehead slipping down to her shoulder, still clutching her arms.

"Shh… Vegeta, relax… shh…" Bulma kissed his shoulder and put her hands on his arms. "Vegeta, you're hurting me…" He immediately let go and instead wrapped his muscular arms around her small frame. "I know, Vegeta… it'll be over soon." She whispered in his ear, holding him around his shoulders. She slowly rocked them back and forth until Vegeta's pain had subsided, at which point she helped him walk back over to his bed.

"Do the children know?" He asked as he laid down, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Bulma, who had been at the sink in the room, walked back over and dabbed a wet cloth on her husband's brow. "They know that you're here, but not what exactly for just yet." She paused. "They'll want to visit you though… you know you'll be here for some time, right?"

"Yes, I came to that conclusion when I couldn't walk…" He spoke quietly and Bulma knew it hurt him to feel so weak. "Don't tell Bulla why I'm here. Just tell her that I've been training too vigorously and I'm suffering from exhaustion or something, but don't tell her I have cancer… please…"

Bulma smiled and continued dabbing the cloth on his neck and chest. "Of course, Vegeta. I'll make sure not to let her know, but for now she's with Gohan and Videl. I figured she would be able to relax there with Pan as company…" Bulma's voice trailed off. "By the way, I want you to be kinder to Trunks when you get out of here."

"Why?"

"Because he's stronger than you think, compassionate. Just like you though."

"What do you mean?"

Bulma ran her hand through his hair. "Vegeta, after you got taken away and I sent Bulla off to Gohan's, Trunks came in. I could tell he was broken, confused, scared… but he hid his emotions, and he would have done it quite well to someone who wasn't his mother… he didn't care what he was feeling. He's going to hide them when he's here too, but trust me, he's scared as hell over this." Bulma walked back over to the sink and rinsed off the cloth, then picked up her purse she had thrown into a chair to the side and kissed Vegeta's nose. "I think I'm going to go back home and talk to him… I'm going to have them put you on pain medication while I'm not here so you don't have another breakdown like you did earlier, but you have to promise not to leave this bed without help and if they help you, you have to be nice to them, okay?"

Vegeta looked at her like she was crazy.

"Okay, at least tolerate them." She smiled and kissed him slowly, his hand moving to the back of her head, pulling her in closer.

"Don't leave…"

Bulma's heart nearly broke at the hurt in his voice. "Baby… I have to go talk to Trunks, but I might be back later on tonight, okay?" She whispered and kissed him again. "I love you, Vegeta."

"I love you too…."

Bulma knew he was scared, but she also knew that he would be okay, at least for the night. She walked out of the infirmary and back toward the living quarters of Capsule Corp..


	4. Chapter 4

When Bulma got back home, she flopped her purse in one of the chairs in the living room and laid down on the couch. She rubbed her temples and sighed. She still couldn't believe that her husband, the Saiyan Prince, the strongest man she'd ever met, was a victim of cancer. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to her left where her son was sitting on the couch opposite of her. "Trunks? How long have you been there?" She asked, sitting up and resting one arm on the couch's armrest.

"Not long… just didn't want to disturb you. How's dad doing?"

"Not so great… listen, you can't tell your sister but… your father… your father has cancer. Bone marrow cancer." She watched her son's confusion and fear revive in him tenfold.

"What? How? Dad? No…. not dad, there's no way! He's a Saiyan! I thought Saiyan's didn't get sick? How is this possible?" Trunks had stood up now and was pacing back and forth between the couch and the coffee table. He paused and looked down at his mother. "What are we supposed to tell Bulla? She'd die if she knew he had cancer, mom…"

Bulma stood up and smiled at him. "Trunks, don't worry so much. You know your father… tell Bulla that he's suffering from overworking himself."

"And what happens if it kills him? She's going to know we're lying if that happens…" Trunks said, turning around to face the window.

"Trunks… your father isn't going to die…"

"You don't know that." He said quietly, Bulma could tell that he was holding back again because of the small crack in his voice.

"I'll make you a deal. We'll tell Bulla the truth if it gets bad enough…. If…" Bulma placed her hand on her sons shoulder, causing him to turn back around. "If you stop hiding." She gave a small smile and held her arms out to him. Trunks tried to smile back, but his lips trembled and his face twisted with emotions and he collapsed into his mother's arms. The young boy in him came rushing out full force as she sat down with him on the couch and held him close to her. He sobbed quietly on her shoulder and let her run her fingers through his hair. Soon, he sat up and wiped his eyes, holding his head in his hands.

"I don't know, mom it's just… he's my dad. My father. He's always just… seemed so invincible to me. He's been a role model, a hero, a protector… and now this. I knew something was wrong, I knew it. I knew it wasn't just minor injuries this time… mom, I knew it! I knew that there was something wrong… I knew so long ago. I felt it, but I didn't say anything… I could have prevented this…" Trunks rambled on and on until he was nearly in tears again and Bulma pulled him into another hug, brushing her fingers through his hair again.

"Shh… Trunks, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. You know as well as I do that your father would have been royally pissed off had you said anything about it. He would have paraded around the house preaching about how strong he was and all of that. Don't worry, sweetie, your father will be just fine, I promise." She whispered, soothing him. "You're a lot like your father, you know that? With how you hide your emotions like you have been recently."

"I know I'm a lot like him…" Trunks breathed slowly, trying to calm himself down.

"You look a lot like him too… cept for this." She said, tugging on a small chunk of purple hair.

He laughed and sat back up, then stood. "Thanks mom… I needed that… I think I'm going to go to Goten's to train for a bit. Should I tell him the news?"

"Not quite yet. I think I'm going to tell Chi-Chi, so she'll tell Goku and I'll let her know that he can tell his kids. I'll inform them of what to tell Bulla if she asks questions… it'll get around, don't worry." Bulma smiled. "I think I'm going to spend the night with him, you know how he gets…"

"Yeah… well, I'll see you around… I may be gone for awhile." Trunks smiled, then walked out the door and flew off.


	5. Chapter 5

Bulma walked into Vegeta's room that night, already in a pair of comfortable pajamas. She laid down her purse and sat on the bed next to Vegeta, who was sleeping at the moment. She smiled and rested her hand on top of his, rubbing her thumb on one of his knuckles. "You're gonna be okay… I know you are…" She whispered. "You have to be. What on earth would I do without you?" She smiled, forcing back her tears. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, running her thumb over his temple.

Slowly, his eyes opened and he looked at her, slightly smiling. "Hey…."

"Hey…" She whispered.

"….how did he take it?"

"Not well, of course. But, once again, he's taking after you. He's upset, so he's training now." She smiled. The silence in the room was deafening. What could either of them say in a situation like this?

Vegeta looked down at his stomach. "I'm scared."

Bulma's eyes widened at the confession. He had said it before, but it still took so much for him to admit something like that. She gave a weak smile and laid down, her head resting lightly on his chest. "Me too…."

"Woman, tell me the truth…"

"Hmm?"

"Am I going to make it out of this alive?"

Bulma paused, pursing her lips. She took a deep breath and sat up again, looking him straight in the eyes. "I would love to say yes, Vegeta, but I just don't know…."

"Why don't you know?"

"Well…. It isn't like we've had a lot of Saiyans at our disposal to test on…. So, I don't know what's going to happen. Did Saiyans ever get cancer on your planet?"

"No. As I've said, we almost never got sick… this damn planet…"

"Can't say I blame you for placing the blame there…" She sighed. "I hope you'll be okay…"

"As do I, woman…"

"Why do you still call me that?" She laughed, though tears were rolling down her face.

He scoffed, looking away. "The pain medications don't work…"

"Hmm?"

He shook his head. "They tried everything, Bulma… their strongest stuff. It didn't do a damn thing…" He said quietly through gritted teeth. "I can't take this pain for very long, Bulma… I just can't…"

"Vegeta…" She faced him and cupped his face in her hands.

"You can't give up…"

"I don't want to…. But what happens if… for some reason, my blood is more sensitive to this… disease? What happens if my body deteriorates quicker than a human's?"

"Vegeta, that won't happen."

"It is, Bulma…. I can't walk. Already, I can't walk. This shit has already taken my mobility from me… in a day, Bulma."

"You've probably had it much longer than that, Vegeta…"

"That isn't the damn point!" He screamed at her, something he rarely did. "The point is that since I've learned of his, the pain has become too strong for even the world's strongest medications, my legs no longer function, and I already feel…" He stopped and Bulma saw his eyes fill with tears that he refused to let escape.

"Vegeta… finish your thought."

He looked back into her eyes. "I feel dead, Bulma."


End file.
